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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27225754">Bombs Away! or Rooftop Revelation</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arminius_Fiddywinks/pseuds/Arminius_Fiddywinks'>Arminius_Fiddywinks</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2012)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Family, Family Feels, Gen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 20:54:14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,424</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27225754</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arminius_Fiddywinks/pseuds/Arminius_Fiddywinks</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Throwing a criminal off a roof is common fare for Raphael, but opposition from his brothers drives him to the unthinkable.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Bombs Away! or Rooftop Revelation</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>We were on patrol, like how we are nearly every night, the four of us. Me, Leo, Donnie, Mikey, hopping across the rooftops of Harlem in Upper Manhattan. The character of the neighborhood’s changed. Years ago there used to be a lotta black folks living here, but now they’re moving out to who-knows-where. Rents in the place getting too high for ‘em, but still affordable enough for those hipsters moving in with their organic food stores and high-end boutiques. A shame, Harlem’s close to losing what made it Harlem.</p><p>The autumn breeze chilled me to the bone, but running around helped out, kept me warm and things like that. We were travelling across rooftops of buildings facing East 119th Street, just off Malcolm X Boulevard, when we heard a commotion. We stuck to the shadows, concealing ourselves behind a small wall between the roof we were on and the next, where the noise came from. A door for the staircase leading to the next building’s roof swung open, and a man wearing a skull cap and a heavy winter coat with a woman in his hands stumbled out into the open. She was wearing autumn weather wear, but had a blindfold over her eyes and a rag in her mouth.</p><p>“Shut up bitch, it won’t be long now!” the man said with a gruff voice. He had a knife to her throat, and pushed her down onto the ground. He went on top of her, and used one of his hands to grab her down there. “Ooh, wet already?!” he yelled. The woman tried scream and cry for help, but the gag stopped her from doing so.</p><p>I told Leo, who was right beside me, “I’m gonna take this freak out.” I sprang into action and took a position on top of the little concrete or brick thing that covered the doorway to the stairs leading into the building, I dunno what it’s called. I pulled out my sai and jumped down onto the perp, stabbing him in the shoulders. The dude screamed, while my brothers followed me into the fight. Donnie and Mikey went to the woman, careful not to remove her blindfold, while Leo checked in with me to see if I needed help: I didn’t. The guy was dead meat the second he stepped out onto the roof with his would-be victim. Perp went onto the ground and I turned him over and started pounding his face like there was no tomorrow.</p><p>“Bro, you good?” asked Leo somewhat sarcastically.</p><p>“Yeah, I’m peachy!” I answered. “Just gettin’ real friendly with Mr. Personality here!” Now, normally at this point Leo would pull me off the guy and yell at me for “being too rough with him.” But, since the guy was about to rape someone, I think he gave me a bit more leeway than usual. I kept punching the dude’s face until it turned into something out of a sci fi horror movie or something. Then I kicked him, and he rolled off onto his side, where I kicked him in the back again and again, until I heard a cracking sound. That was his spine snapping.</p><p>“Okay, enough!” yelled Leo, but I ignored him.</p><p>“Hey, hey!” cried out the fucker on the ground. “I can’t feel my legs! Yo, I can’t feel my legs!”</p><p>“You ain’t gonna need ‘em!” I answered back mockingly. I grabbed him, picked him up, and walked to the edge of the rooftop. “Bombs away!” I tossed him off the roof. He screamed as he fell. There was a thud, and both Leo and I looked down: perp landed on a car, and by some twisted miracle he survived. Heard the guy groaning while he was splattered all over the roof of this silver sedan. I looked over to Leo, and he glared at me something fierce. I shrugged my shoulders and said “What?” He didn’t say anything, just rolled his eyes and shook his head, and then he walked off back to the lady.</p><p>Leo started talking to the lady, saying “Hey, miss, you alright?” and things like that.</p><p>“I’m fine, I’m fine,” she said. She was crying a bit, and I don’t blame her at all for doing that. She thanked us for all the help, and I felt warm inside. Yeah, this is why I beat up bad guys. She tried to take off her blindfold, but Donnie and Mikey talked her into keeping it on. Told her that we really messed up that guy so bad that she really shouldn’t look at him, and that was kinda true. Leo asked her where she lived, and she gave us her address, at West 116th Street in Morningside Heights. Said that she was a teacher at Columbia (the university, not the country), and was visiting a friend in Harlem until she got jumped just outside the apartment. Saw Donnie take out the burner phone we’d always use for calling the cops on someone we beat up and tied down somewhere.</p><p>“Hello, police?” Donnie said into the phone after dialing 911. He put on a slight Southern drawl to disguise his voice a bit, and honestly it could’ve fooled me. “Yeah, I’m on East 119th Street, near Marcus Garvey Park, and I just heard some fighting or something, I dunno. Please, send some help quickly!” He hung up the phone.</p><p>“Alright, let’s get this lady back home and bounce,” said Mikey. I agreed with the little dude, and with Leo carrying the lady, we went back to her place. Dropped her off on the roof, and we disappeared before she managed to take off the blindfold and get a good look at us. A good night’s work if you ask me.</p><p>We went back to the lair a few hours after that, fucking tired as all hell. I was gonna hit the sack before Leo stopped me.</p><p>“What the hell was that?” he said in a low voice, not wanting to get the attention of Donnie or Mikey. It didn’t work, because I saw ‘em lurking in the distance.</p><p>“That was me kicking a wannabe perv’s ass,” I said.</p><p>“Raph, you threw him off a roof.”</p><p>“Yeah, and if he was a pedophile his head would be rolling away from his body right about now. Newsflash, Leo: people die, and sometimes the bad guys die when we go toe to toe with them.”</p><p>“What is it with your obsession with killing things, anyway?” butted in Donnie. Didn’t care much for his input, if you know what I mean, and I was particularly short tonight.</p><p>“You only call it an obsession because you’re too pussy to take down anyone,” I said.</p><p>Donnie got so pissed. I saw it in his face, but he didn’t do anything, he just threw his hands up in the air and said “I’m too tired for this nonsense, I’m going to bed.”</p><p>“What, crawling back to your room? There goes Donnie again, walking away from a fight because he can’t actually win one on his own!”</p><p>Donnie’s back was turned to me, but he stopped instantly, and he snapped his head back at me. He turned straight around and stomped towards me. I was grinning until he went towards me, then it went away and I was ready to fight him, but Mikey stepped between us and put his hands on Donnie’s chest.</p><p>“No no no no no,” Mikey said to Donnie, and he stopped Donnie right then and there.</p><p>“Get outta the way, Mikey!” yelled Donnie. “I’ve had it up to here with Raph teasing me, putting me down, calling me names! You’re nothing but a bully, Raph!”</p><p>“Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah,” I said. “You’re just saying that because you’re never able to fight for yourself! You always need someone to fucking carry you through shit!”</p><p>“Raph!” shouted Leo. He really wanted me to stop, but once I get going not much can stop me.</p><p>“No, fuck you Raph!” yelled Donnie at the top of his lungs. “Why don’t you do what you always do and fuck off, huh?! Fuck! Off! You fucking piece of shit, I hate you! You’re no brother of mine!”</p><p>Mikey couldn’t believe what he was hearing, and asked Donnie if he really meant it.</p><p>“Damn straight I do, Mikey! I want Raph gone! Gone!”</p><p>“Oh, you want me gone?!” I yelled. Leo grabbed onto my arm to keep me from going after Donnie. “Huh, is that it?!”</p><p>“Yeah, you dumb bastard! Get it through your thick skull!”</p><p>“Fine, I’m gone, but the next time one of your gadgets break or you get a boo-boo, don’t come running to anyone else, especially me!”</p><p>“You know, I hope you don’t feel so insecure about having one of your younger brothers stand up to your bullshit because I have a rule against kicking the ass of someone with such low self-esteem you pathetic piece of crap.”</p><p>I stopped speaking and just stared at Donnie in disbelief. I didn’t think he’d actually go there. Then, he kept going a bit more.</p><p>“Go ahead, go sulk on a rooftop thinking about how useless you are, unable to even talk to people properly! Go!” He made a hand gesture at me, like he was waving me off or shooing me or something like that. Then, he went even further. “Maybe you’ll do us a solid and throw yourself off of that roof!” Donnie shuffled off and put his hands on his hips. Everyone in the room was dead quiet, but even with that Master Splinter still managed to enter the main room of the lair undetected until he spoke.</p><p>“What is the commotion about, my sons?” he asked. Nobody answered. I saw Donnie look to Master Splinter, then sigh and rub the back of his head. He turned around, and his face softened a ton from his enraged demeanor to a calmer one. He looked like he regretted what he said to me.</p><p>“Raph, I-“</p><p>“No, no,” I said, stopping Donnie from finishing that thought. “You’re right. I should go.” I raised my hands in defeat, and started backing up out of the lair. Leo tried to stop me, saying my name, but I raised my hands at him, and he didn’t make a move after that. Master Splinter then called out my name, my full name, but I didn’t even listen to him. Just turned around and walked out. Mikey mumbled something, but I couldn’t hear what he said exactly.</p><p>After I found my way to the surface, I thought for a few seconds as to where I should go. Looked downtown, and saw One WTC stretching into the sky. I was like “Fuck it, might as well go out in style,” and I moved my ass to the tower. Hopped across the rooftops, avoiding detection, but it got a bit harder as the buildings got taller and taller the further downtown I went. By the time I hit Midtown, the rooftop skips were getting riskier and riskier. Took a breather at Times Square, looking down below to the hustle and bustle of the center of the universe. It was almost three in the morning, but there were still people down there, tourists taking pictures of the neon billboards and shit. Kinda like the whole scenery of Times Square, to be honest with you. Something about the bright colors and lights, the hum and activity, the feeling that you’re with other people enjoying a special place in the world where everyone wants to be at least once in their lives, a place where the whole world can come and visit, a magnet of other ideas, other individuals, other stories. Probably spent half an hour just taking it all in before moving further downtown, towards the Financial District.</p><p>Got to One World Trade Center at around four a.m. Climbed the thing. Actually climbed it, I’m not fucking with you. It took all of my strength and an hour of my time, but I did it. Real hard to scale glass and steel, but not impossible. Just gotta know where to put your hands and feet. When I got to the roof, I decide to go up higher, up on the spire. So, I did. Climbed that too until I was balanced at the very top. Looked out on the whole of Manhattan, uptown to Central Park and Upper Manhattan beyond that. The whole city was just swimming in light. Saw the Empire State Building, and managed to pick out the Chrysler Building hidden among other, taller skyscrapers. Also saw the taller residential skyscrapers closer to Central Park, like that Central Park Tower, the Steinway Tower, and that God-ugly 432 Park Avenue. It’s basically a fucking Lego tower some kid built in kindergarten.</p><p>Looked right, and I saw the Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn itself, and Queens. Also saw the Bronx. Looked over my left shoulder, and I saw the Statue of Liberty and Staten Island further away. Looked left and saw New Jersey. Then… I looked down. The 9/11 Memorial. I didn’t actually frown that day until I saw the Memorial. But seeing the giant fountains where the Twin Towers used to be just… God. I just felt so fucking sad… Man, I didn’t realize how taxing remembering this day would be.</p><p>Right about now is where I decided to jump. I’d take a swan dive off of the spire of One WTC and just splatter myself all over the pavement somewhere. The end of Raphael. No more fighting. No more struggle. Just letting go. So… I did, I jumped. But something grabbed my ankle. Grabbed it as I just leaped from the spire, and the momentum kept me going, and I slammed face-first back onto the spire, upside-down.</p><p>“Ah, what the fuck!” I yelled out. I looked up, or down, or, well, whatever. I was looking at what grabbed me, and the first thing I noticed was orange. An orange mask. It was Mikey’s orange mask. Mikey grabbed me. He saved me. Holy shit.</p><p>“Woah, Raph!” he said. “What the shell’s up with you?!” I didn’t say anything, I was too shocked. “Come on, let’s climb down onto the roof.” So we climbed down, and we were soon safely on the World Trade Center’s rooftop. I leaned against the spire, crossing my arms, staring towards the Empire State. “Dude… what happened?” asked Mikey. I didn’t say anything. He walked to me, and looked up, staring with those big cute eyes of his. When I looked down I couldn’t help but answer him.</p><p>“I wanted to jump, Mikey,” I said in a soft voice. “Just wanted to end it, you know? Fucking end it. Be done with all of it.”</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>“Donnie was right. I’m a failure. I can’t even talk to people right without just blowing up and I don’t know why. And the training… ugh, it’s so fucking hard. I can’t seem to sneak up on people, and I can’t just sit still and be patient, and I can’t fucking calm down ever, and I’m nowhere near as smart as Donnie or as cool-headed as Leo and I can’t seem to pick up things like you do, and all I seem to be useful for is just bashing heads in, but we’re ninja and we can’t do that all the time, and I keep getting pummeled by the bad guys no matter how hard I fight and how much I keep getting up and-“</p><p>Mikey stopped me with one of his signature hugs. Oh yeah, that shut me up quick. “I love you man,” he said. “You’re my brother, and I say you’re not useless. You’re not just a big red machine. You’re an important part of our family, you’re special. Please, don’t ever forget that. We need you. We love you. We care for you.” Didn’t say much for a while, and just wrapped my arms around him right back.</p><p>“Donnie doesn’t seem to think so,” I said. I let out a long breath, and hugged my brother close.</p><p>“Donnie was just losing it for a bit. He’s cooled off a lot, and is really, really, really sorry for what he said.” That got me there. Donnie… yeah, I couldn’t stay mad at him long. He’s my brother, and brothers sometimes do stupid shit for stupid reasons. “He… he’s thinking that he pushed you into killing yourself. Please… come on back home, let’s prove him wrong.” Teared up a bit at that. Didn’t want Donnie to think that he caused my death, no, not ever. Never will it be his fault if I die.</p><p>“Let’s go home, then,” I said. So, we went home.</p><p>When we went back to the lair it was early morning. Sun just came up. Leo and Donnie were still awake, probably worried as all hell. They sat at the kitchen table where there was an open box of pepperoni pizza. Only one slice was missing from the pie on a plate in front of Leo, but it was only half-eaten. Donnie looked like fucking shit, he was so goddamn sad. His hands covered his face, his mask was off his eyes, and he looked like he was ready to just bawl his eyes out. Leo stared at him silently. He looked real down too.</p><p>“Hey, dudes,” said Mikey in a low voice. That caught both of my brothers’ attentions. The two of ‘em stood up, and Donnie was the first to come forward. Had these bags under his eyes like he hadn’t slept at all, and his eyes were red too, like he spent some time sobbing.</p><p>“Raph,” he said. “Raph, you know I didn’t really mean all of that. I wasn’t in my right mind.” I just walked up to Donnie and hugged the shit outta him.</p><p>“I know, man,” I said. I didn’t wanna cry. I told myself I wouldn’t goddamn cry. But, my damn body stabbed me in the back. Felt tears stream down my face, but I didn’t just want to bawl, so I cried in silence, clearing my throat to speak some more. “I love you, Donnie. Nothin’ll change that.”</p><p>“We’re family Raph,” Leo said, joining in the hug. “You’ll always be welcome in the lair, and among us.”<br/>
Mikey stumbled into the hug too, but he didn’t say anything.</p><p>We must’ve been hugging for a solid minute before we heard snoring. Instantly got pissed. I opened my eyes and went back a bit. Donnie and Leo had confused looks on their faces, and I turned my head right to see Mikey leaning on my arm, fast asleep. Nudged my arm a bit to wake him up, and he did, shaking his head and breathing in deeply.</p><p>“No, wait, okay…” he said, slurring his words. “I haven’t slept like at all yet and I am just totally destroyed right now…” Mikey then turned around and tried to shuffle back to his room, but he ran into Master Splinter. Mikey’s face smacked into our dad, and he fell on his ass. The three of us chuckled.</p><p>“I trust this means that harmony has returned to the family?” asked Master Splinter.</p><p>“That’s right, sensei,” I said. “I just needed to get my head screwed on straight with Mikey’s help.”</p><p>“Good, I am very glad that you are back, Raphael. The family is not the same without you, as your brothers surely must have told you.” I nodded. “But do not think that this incident excuses you from training.”</p><p>The three of us collectively groaned. None of us had slept at all last night. Goddamn… Master Splinter really knows how to kick our asses.<br/>
Training that morning was sluggish, a shitshow. Wouldn’t trade it for the world, though. After it was over, the three of us grabbed some z’s. Had a weird dream, but it was kinda pleasant. Dreamed that me and my brothers went on a car trip to Philadelphia in this old Caprice Sedan, but then the sedan turned into a flying car. We got cheesesteaks and shit like that and had a good time. When I woke up and saw my bros at the kitchen table munching down on snacks, I smiled. Walked up and sat down with them, and I felt warm inside, like when we rescued that lady last night. Then, I knew. I knew I belonged here, with my family, and I shouldn’t abandon it for anything. I’d stick close to them no matter what.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Unlike Michelangelo in my previous one-shot (Shikata Ga Nai), Raphael narrates the story with a noticeably clipped style, mincing words and not adding flowery language, which accounts for the much shorter length.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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